TITLE 16 OCCUPATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL
LICENSING
CHAPTER 27 COUNSELORS AND THERAPISTS
PART 16 CONTINUING EDUCATION
16.27.16.1 ISSUING AGENCY: Regulation and
Licensing Department Counseling and Therapy Practice Board
[16.27.16.1 NMAC – Rp,
16.27.16.1 NMAC, 11/30/2021]
16.27.16.2 SCOPE: All
professional clinical mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists,
professional art therapists, professional mental health counselors, registered
independent counselors, licensed mental health counselors, licensed associate
marriage and family therapists, alcohol and drug abuse counselors, alcohol
abuse counselors, drug abuse counselors, and substance abuse associates.
[16.27.16.2 NMAC - Rp,
16.27.16.2 NMAC, 11/30/2021]
16.27.16.3 STATUTORY AUTHORITY: These parts
are promulgated pursuant to the Counselor and Therapist Practice Act, Section
61-9A-9 and 61-9A-24 NMSA 1978.
[16.27.16.3 NMAC - Rp,
16.27.16.3 NMAC, 11/30/2021]
16.27.16.4 DURATION: Permanent.
[16.27.16.4 NMAC - Rp,
16.27.16.4 NMAC, 11/30/2021]
16.27.16.5 EFFECTIVE DATE: November 30,
2021, unless a later date is cited at the end of a section.
[16.27.16.5 NMAC - Rp,
16.27.16.5 NMAC, 11/30/2021]
16.27.16.6 OBJECTIVE: The objective
of Part 16 is to inform licensees of continuing education hours required for
license renewal. Additionally, Part 16
established acceptable continuing education.
[16.27.16.6 NMAC - Rp,
16.27.16.6 NMAC, 11/30/2021]
16.27.16.7 DEFINITIONS: [RESERVED]
16.27.16.8 CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Continuing
education credit. Effective for the
renewal period beginning October 1, 1997, 40 contact hours of continuing
education approved by the New Mexico counseling and therapy practice board will
be required to be documented during each two-year renewal period.
A. Continuing education must be obtained
during the expiring licensing period.
B. One contact hour of continuing
education is 60 minutes.
C. Specific continuing education which
must be obtained and verified:
(1) 12 hours of ethics related to counseling/mental
health for all licensees;
(2) nine
hours in supervision related to counseling/mental health for all licensees who
are supervisors.
D. Semester hour for the purpose of
calculating continuing education units means that one semester credit hour of
graduate coursework is equal to 15 continuing education units and one quarter
hour of coursework is equal to 11.25 continuing education units.
[16.27.16.8 NMAC - Rp,
16.27.16.8 NMAC, 11/30/2021]
16.27.16.9 ACCEPTABLE CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSES:
A. approved by local, state, national,
or international mental health related professional associations such as the
national board for certified counselors, the American marriage and family
therapy regulatory board, American art therapy association, art therapy
credentials board, international certification reciprocity consortium, or the national
association of alcohol and drug abuse council;
B. approved by other state regulatory
boards of related mental health or substance abuse fields, including psychiatry,
psychology and social work;
C. sponsored by international,
national, regional or state mental health professional associations including
psychiatry, psychology and social work, or state and federal divisions of
substance abuse;
D. approved by the New Mexico counseling
and therapy practice board;
E. college coursework will be
accepted for continuing education as follows:
(1) Semester hour for the purpose of
calculating continuing education units means that one semester credit hour of
graduate coursework is equal to 15 continuing education units and one quarter
hour of coursework is equal to 11.25 continuing education units;
(2) License types requiring a master’s
degree or higher may utilize only graduate or postgraduate-level coursework beyond
their initial master’s degree that is related to counseling and therapy.
Undergraduate coursework is not acceptable toward continuing education
requirements;
(3) License types requiring an
associate’s degree or higher can utilize undergraduate coursework taken as part
of a bachelor’s degree program that is related to counseling and therapy or
substance use disorders. If the licensee possesses a bachelor’s degree, the
licensee can only utilize graduate and postgraduate-level coursework toward
continuing education requirements for license renewal.
F. Pro Bono work shall be accepted for
up to twenty continuing education credits during
each renewal cycle. Such work shall be non-remunerated clinical
in nature and performed only by independently licensed clinicians. To qualify for continuing education hours,
work must be performed for a non-profit organization or government entity by
which the clinician is not currently employed, or otherwise associated. Service sites shall be engaged in provision
of substantial service to their community and the people of New Mexico. Continuing education hours shall be awarded
on the basis of one continuing education credit hour per four clock hours of
service. Clinicians will be supervised
by site-based administrative staff and documented on service hour continuing
education work sheet and documentation form available from the New Mexico
counseling and therapy practice board.
[16.27.16.9 NMAC - Rp,
16.27.16.9 NMAC, 11/30/2021]
16.27.16.10 DOCUMENTATION OF PARTICIPATION: The licensee
shall be responsible for submitting proof of attendance of all continuing
education hours at the time of license renewal.
All continuing education hours must be documented at the time the
license is renewed. The board reserves
the right to require additional documentation of participation. The board will notify the licensee of approval
or disapproval of continuing education hours within 30 days after receiving
documentation. The board shall notify licensees within 60 days after submission
of the application for renewal if any continuing education units are not
approved by the board. The licensee shall have 30 days from the board’s notice
of disapproval to obtain additional continuing education units in compliance
with board standards.
[16.27.16.10 NMAC - Rp,
16.27.16.10 NMAC, 11/30/2021]
16.27.16.11 FAILURE TO MEET CONTINUING EDUCATION
REQUIREMENTS: The board will refuse to renew the licensee's
license in accordance with the Uniform Licensing Act, Sections 61-1-1 through
61-1-31 NMSA 1978. If continuing
education units requirements are not completed within the licensing period and
by the expiration date, the licensee or registrant will be considered expired
and will refrain from practicing.
Individuals unable to meet continuing education requirements due to
circumstances beyond their control must submit a written request for a waiver
60 days prior to their renewal date.
Extenuating circumstances include illness, death in immediate family,
military service, or other severe circumstances, which do not allow an
applicant to meet continuing education requirements. The applicant may request a one-time
extension approved by the board and shall pay an additional non-refundable $300.00
fee. The board will review each request
on a case-by-case basis.
[16.27.16.11 NMAC - Rp,
16.27.16.11 NMAC, 11/30/2021]
16.17.16.12 REGISTRATION
AS A CONTINUING EDUCATION PROVIDER: A
pre-approved continuing education provider shall possess the qualifications below:
A. age requirement of the presenter shall be a least 21
years of age.
B. hold an active
independent license to practice in New Mexico as a licensed alcohol and drug
abuse counselor (LADAC),
licensed professional art therapist (LPAT), licensed professional clinical
mental health counselor (LPCC), licensed clinical social worker (LCSW),
licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), or licensed psychologist, or if
holding an out of state license, meet criteria for licensure for New Mexico by
credential or reciprocity.
C. Education requirements:
(1) With the exception of
licensed alcohol and drug abuse counselors, hold a masters or doctoral degree
in counseling or a counseling related field from an accredited institution; or
(2) A licensed alcohol and
drug abuse counselor (LADAC) shall have three years of experience in the field
of alcohol and drug abuse counseling.
D. An application for Pre-Approved CEU
Provider must include:
(1) Application
fee of $100.00
(2) a signed statement
provided in the application indicating the presenter has read the code of
ethics and agrees to be bound and governed by the code of ethics.
(3) At least one complete
course description with objectives
(4) A copy of the presenter’s
current license. Presenters must hold a current license in one of the following
licensed disciplines:
(a) professional
clinical mental health counselor;
(b) marriage
and family therapist;
(c) professional
art therapist;
(d) psychologist;
(e) independent
or clinical social worker; or
(f) alcohol
and drug abuse counselor;
(5) A copy of the presenter’s
resume or curriculum vitae
(6) A mock CEU certificate
for each course description presented with the application
E. Once an approved CEU Provider,
additional courses do not need to be submitted for approval. All future coursework
must promote growth and learning within the fields of counseling and therapy,
and must abide by the code of ethics and the Counseling and Therapy Practice
Act.
F. CEU Providers are responsible for maintaining
course and attendance records for a period of no less than three years, and
make copies of attendance certificates available to attendees upon request.
G. Failure to comply with the rules for
CEU providers and the code of ethics may result in termination of the approval
as a CEU provider or denial of renewal as a CEU provider and shall subject the
provider to a $25.00 administrative fee for each CEU credit awarded without
proper registration with the board pursuant to 16.27.17 NMAC.
[16.27.16.12 NMAC - N, 11/30/2021]
HISTORY OF 16.27.16 NMAC:
Pre-NMAC History: The material
in this part was derived from that previously filed with the State Records
Center and Archives under:
Rule 11, Continuing
Education, 3/20/1995
History of Repealed
Material:
16 NMAC 27.11, Continuing
Education - Repealed 6/15/2001
Other History:
16.27.11 NMAC – Continuing
Education, filed 6/15/2001 was repealed and replaced by 16.27.11 NMAC –
Continuing Education, effective 11/30/2021.